Remote Working During COVID-19: BOONS or BANES For Instructors Working in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan  : Analyzing Impact of COVID-19

Farhana  Tabassum; Muhammad Shaghil Baqa; Nazia Akram; Rabia  Nawaz; Fareeha Bashir; Mahwish Alam; Zartasha Sarwar; Anam  Jamil

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v5i1.171

Authors

Farhana Tabassum University Institute of Medical Lab Technology (UIMLT), Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Shaghil Baqa Lahore Business School, Faculty of Management and Sciences, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Nazia Akram Lahore Business School, Faculty of Management and Sciences, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
Rabia Nawaz University Institute of Medical Lab Technology (UIMLT), Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Fareeha Bashir University Institute of Medical Lab Technology (UIMLT), Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), The University of Lahore, Lahore
Mahwish Alam Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Zartasha Sarwar Department of Physics, The Women University Multan, Multan, Pakistan
Anam Jamil University Institute of Medical Lab Technology (UIMLT), Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), The University of Lahore, Lahore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v5i1.171

Keywords:

Educators, higher institutions, Negative impact, Lockdown, Online courses, lack of physical activity, increased workload

Abstract

Around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as the most serious threat to human health, economy, and well-being, affecting substantially every country. The current outbreak has presented society with unexpected obstacles and has jeopardized mankind and global resilience. The present study intends to determine the influence of Covid-19 on 250 educators teaching at various public and private higher educational institutions in Pakistan. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a link to a Google questionnaire form. The survey consisted of 20 questions covering demographic information, physical activity, remote working challenges, time spent on social media, and issues with online education. The data were collected using the snowball sampling method, and it was analyzed using SPSS 2021. The findings revealed the detrimental effects of COVID-19 lockdowns, such as excessive use of social media, a sedentary lifestyle, insufficient online classes training,excessive workload, rigorous timetable, the constant worry of shrinking, and wage cutbacks are all factors to consider. To continue the smooth teaching and learning process, the study recommends that educators, government, and policymakersreshape the present policies directly associated with the national teachers' personal, social, economic, physical, and mental well-being.

References

Puccinelli, P. J., Costa, T. S., Seffrin, A., Lira, C. A., Vancini, R. L., Nikolaidis, P. T., . . . Andrade, M. S. (2021). Reduced level of physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with depression and anxiety levels: an internet-based survey. BMC Public Health, 21(425). doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10470-z

Kaur, H., Singh, T., Arya, Y. K., & Mittal, S. (2020). Physical Fitness and Exercise During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Enquiry. Front Psychol. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590172

Hussain, M. W., Mirza, T., & Hassan, M. M. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Human Behavior. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 35-61. doi.org/10.5815/ijeme.2020.05.05

Tomasz Daniel Jakubowski. (2021). Teachers’ mental health during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Plos One, 16(9). DOI:org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0257252

Medina-Guillen, L. F., Quintanilla, G. J., Palma-Vallejo, M., & Guillen, M. F. (2021). Workload in a group of Latin American teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uniciencia, 35(2), 223-236. doi.org/10.15359/ru.35-2.15

Lizana, P. A., Vega-Fernadez, G., Gomez-Bruton, A., Leyton, B., & Lera, L. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Teacher Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study from before and during the Health Crisis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7). doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073764

Washburn, M., Crutchfield, J., Roper, D. O., Smith, D., & Padilla, Y. (2021). Changes to MSW Faculty Workload Resulting From COVID-19: An Issue of Equity. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(1). doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1934209

Jelińska, M., & Paradowski, M. B. (2021). The Impact of Demographics, Life and Work Circumstances on College and University Instructors’ Well-Being During Quaranteaching. Frint Psychol. doi.org/ 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.64322

Maity, S., Sen, N., & Sahu, T. N. (2020). COVID‐19: Triggers fear psychosis among private-sector employees. Journal of Labor and Society, 10.1111/wusa.12490, 1-11. doi.org/ 10.1111/wusa.12490

Zhao, N., & Zhou, G. (2020). Social Media Use and Mental Health during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Moderator Role of Disaster Stressor and Mediator Role of Negative effect. Appl Psychol Well Being. DOI:org/ 10.1111/aphw.12226

Stewarta, N. K., Rahmanb, A., Adamsa, P. R., & Hughes, J. (2021). Same storm, different nightmares: emergency remote teaching by contingent communication instructors during the pandemic. Communication Education, 402-420. doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2021.1948084

Marshall, D. T., Shannon, D. M.,& Love, S. M. (2020). How teachers experienced the COVID-19 transition to remote instruction. Phi Delta Kapan, 102(3), 45-50. doi.org/10.1177/0031721720970702

Martínez-Mesa, J., González-Chica, D. A., Duquia, R. P., Bonamigo, R. R., & Bastos, J. L. (2016). Sampling: how to select participants in my research study? An Bras Dermatol, 91(3), 326–330. doi.org/ 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20165254

Dwyer, M. J., Pasini, M., Dominicis, S. D., & Righi, E. (2020). Physical activity: Benefits and challenges during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 30(7), 1291-1294. doi.org/10.1111/sms.13710

Rodríguez-Pérez, C., Molina-Montes, E., Verardo, V., Artacho, R., García-Villanova, B., Guerra-Hernández, E. J.,& Ruíz-López, M. D. (2020). Changes in dietary behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak confinement in the Spanish COVIDiet study. Nutrient, 12(6), 1730. doi.org/10.3390/nu12061730

Afrianty, T. W., Artatanaya, G., & Burgess, J. (2020). Working from home effectiveness during Covid-19: Evidence from university staff in Indonesia. Asia Pacific Management Review. doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2021.05.002

Weitzer, J., Papantoniou, K., Seidel, S., Klösch, G., Caniglia, G., Laubichler, M., . . . Schernhammer, E. (2021). Working from home, quality of life, and perceived productivity during the first 50 days COVID 19 mitigation measures in Austria: a cross-sectional study. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01692-0

Ni, M. Y., Yang, L., Leung, C. M., Li, N., Yao, X. I., Wang, Y., & Liao, Q. (2020). Mental health, risk factors, and social media use during the COVID-19 epidemic and cordon sanitaire among the community and health professionals in Wuhan, China: a cross-sectional survey. JMIR Mental Health, 7(5), 19009. doi.org/10.2196/1900

Tabassum, F., Rafique, H., & Sherazi, R. M. (2020). Exploring Digital Pedagogical Challenges Faced by Educators in Higher Education Institutes of Pakistan during COVID-19 Pandemic. International Review of Social Sciences, 8(12), 207-310. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348115676_R_S_S

Sener, B., Ertem, I. S., & Mec, A. (2020). Online Teaching Experiences of ELT Instructors. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 3(3), 340-362. doi.org/ 10.31681/jetol.770418